1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flat panel displays (FPDs), and more specifically to driving flat panel displays. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to driving high-resolution flat panel displays.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Flat panel displays (FPDs), such as plasma displays and liquid crystal displays (LCDs), are becoming increasingly popular for use in display device technologies, particularly for computer monitor and television type thin displays. Furthermore, field emission displays (FEDs) are being developed for mass consumer applications.
Such flat panel displays operate by addressing many rows and columns of pixelated emitting material arranged on a thin, flat matrix. Referring to FIG. 1, in a typical vacuum-sealed FPD, such as an FED or a plasma display, the video signal is coupled to multiple driver integrated circuits (e.g., row driver IC 12 and column driver IC 14) formed on a substrate (e.g., substrates 16 and 18) having good charge carrying or mobility characteristics, such as a poly-silicon (p-Si) or a crystalline silicon (x-Si) substrate. The driver ICs are coupled to the active display region 20 which is formed on a separate substrate 22 and is vacuum-sealed within a faceplate structure in order to prevent chemical contamination, illustrated as vacuum border 24. The active display region 20 is typically formed on a glass substrate. One or more of the substrates 16, 18, 22 are fixed on a printed circuit board. Typically, the substrates 16, 18 are coupled to the substrate 22 with discrete wires 30, e.g., flexible print connectors, spanning between printed metal lines formed on the substrates. Therefore, there is a printed metal line/discrete wire/printed metal line connection coupling each output of the driver ICs 12, 14 to each row and column of the active display region 20. As is illustrated, each of the printed metal lines formed on the display substrate 22 passes through the vacuum border 24. In operation, the driver ICs 12 and 14 send the appropriate signaling to address the appropriate rows and columns of the active display region 20 to display the video signal.
Additionally, such FPDs are increasingly being used in high resolution or high definition applications. As the resolution of the device increases, the number of interconnects (i.e., discrete wires and metal lines) coupling to the active display region increases, the cost of the manufacture of the display increases and additional sources for defects are introduced. Each connection from the driver ICs to the active display region 20 controls a given column or line such that a connection defect at any point from the driver IC to the active display region 20 may result in a defective pixel. Furthermore, additional metal lines or leads passing through the vacuum seal increase the likelihood of outgassing or other compromise of the vacuum seal. Thus, it becomes increasingly difficult to reliably connect the driver ICs to the active display region 20 without compromising the display performance.